1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for printing a cloth by an ink-jet system, and more particularly to a process for printing a cloth by utilizing the ink-jet system, characterized in that the fabrics to which inks will be applied are subjected to a specific pretreatment.
2. Related Background Art
Printing method such as roller printing, screen printing, transfer printing, etc. have been employed for printing cloths such as woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, and blended woven fabrics. Lately further, printing methods by means of ink-jet printing systems are proposed.
In conventional printing methods, printing plates have to be fabricated such as printing drums and screen plates, and it will be expensive. Moreover, in transfer printing, the preparation of the plates for printing transfer paper also will be expensive. Consequently, conventional printing methods are economical only in mass production exceeding a certain level of printing scale. Short life of a design for a printed cloth due to short life of fashion necessitates a renewal of the printing plates to meet the change of the fashion, and it may possibly result in large stocks of printed cloths, which necessarily results in further cost-up, and such has been a great problem. An ink-jet system was proposed to soslsve such problem. However, it cannot give sufficiently precise printed pattern on woven fabrics because of the slow rate of ink absorption due to the characteristics of a conventional printing paste, tendency of spreading of the applied ink due to the presence of weave in textile, low surface smoothness of the woven fabric, and lack of permanence dyeing even when a dye fixing treatment is used.